Cumulative Installed Concentrated Solar Power Capacity in the European Union

Concentrated solar power is growing significantly, but still only accounts for 0.7% of the global energy mix.

In 2012, the market continued to stabilize across the European Union. Total European capacity rose by 14.8% in 2013, reaching a total capacity of 79.6 GWth. Growth in concentrated solar power has slowed: from 3.36 GWth of additional capacity in 2008 to 2.1 GWth in 2012. After the financial crisis in 2008, there has been little investment in building new plants or upgrading older ones. Reduced government incentives have also contributed to the market slowdown.

Germany alone has 40% of the installed concentrated solar power capacity in Europe, followed by Italy. Poland, which started to develop this energy source later, stands out in Europe for the strong growth in its concentrated solar power capacity, with a high pace of growth in installing this type of plant — 19% in 2012 and 23% in 2013.